About the Refuge

Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Lahontan Valley of north-central Nevada, near the community of Fallon, sixty miles east of Reno.

The Stillwater wetlands are well-known to birders, as this area has been designated a site of International Importance by the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network (external link) because of the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds, such as Long-billed dowitcher, Black-necked stilt, and American avocet passing through during migration.

Also listed as a 'Globally Important Bird Area' by the American Bird Conservancy (external link) and an 'Important Bird Area' by the National Audubon Society (external link), more than 280 species have been sighted in the area. These tremendously rich and diverse wetlands attract more than a quarter million waterfowl, as well as over 20,000 other water birds, including American white pelicans, Double-crested cormorants, White-faced ibis, and several species of egrets, herons, gulls, and terns.

Resident wildlife such as coyotes, White-tailed antelope ground squirrels, Jack and Cottontail rabbits, Kangaroo rats, 5 species of lizards, a few types of snakes, and many insects can be seen in abundance throughout the seasons of the refuge.

A variety of activities awaits visitors to this 'Oasis in the Desert', but plan ahead and check weather, roads and recent sightings before you go. Click the Visit tab for more details.